On the day of the Zhongyuan Festival, Shen Xuan went into the city early, but there were far fewer customers than in previous days.
He only received a meager eight orders all morning. After noon, families began their festival rituals and ancestral worship, and no one came to the joss paper stall anymore.
The vendor packed up and went home, and Shen Xuan also returned home early. Because it was a festival, he specially bought two jin of lamb and slaughtered an old hen in the city, carrying a pot of clear wine.
He also bought a piece of tofu at the village entrance, preparing to make a grand meal.
In the Great Jin Dynasty, aristocratic families would invite priests to perform rituals and chant scriptures on the Zhongyuan Festival, lighting incense and candles for their ancestors in temples to pray for the safety of the entire clan.
Ordinary commoners didn't have that much money, so they would prepare good food and wine, and buy some joss paper to burn.
Villagers who couldn't afford paper money would still make a few good dishes for the Zhongyuan Festival.
They would first place them on an altar to honor their ancestors, and then the younger generations would eat them, without wasting a bit, calling it a blessing from their ancestors.
Shen Xuan, having been influenced by modern society, didn't adhere to these customs strictly. However, he followed local traditions, so a grand meal still had to be prepared.
He first washed and chopped the old hen, placing it in an earthenware pot with ginger slices. The village had plenty of corn, so Shen Xuan had already bought a lot from an elderly neighbor.
He now broke off two ears and chopped them to stew with the chicken soup. After the chicken soup was on the stove, Shen Xuan began to braise the lamb.
He put the washed lamb into the pot with green onions and ginger, then added the braising spices.
He brought it to a boil over high heat, and once the braising spices released their aroma, he simmered it over low heat for half an hour.
Once the entire courtyard was filled with the fragrance of the braising liquid, Shen Xuan transferred the lamb and braising liquid into a large bowl, allowing the lamb to continue absorbing the flavors.
When the time was right, Shen Xuan took out the lamb and uniformly sliced it into thin pieces. Half of the braised lamb was served directly, while the other half was set aside for later.
Next, he heated oil in the pan, added chopped ginger and garlic, then a spoonful of bean paste, before pouring in the previously prepared lamb slices to stir-fry.
Once the lamb slices in the pot were evenly coated with the sauce, Shen Xuan added a little of the original braising liquid to reduce, then sprinkled on some chopped green onions.
A fragrant plate of stir-fried lamb slices was ready. Served on the same plate as the braised lamb, it was a "two-way" dish, both delicious and appealing.
Finally, he cooked a dish of tofu and a dish of loofah. After plating the vegetables, he threw the soaked vermicelli into the chicken soup pot.
Since he had made many dishes today and bought wine, Shen Xuan didn't steam rice. The vermicelli in the chicken soup soaked up the broth, making it refreshing and delicious, even more fragrant than rice as a staple.
Shen Xuan was very satisfied with the dishes he made today. After bringing them to the table, he took out two wine cups and poured a cup of clear wine for Xue Fenglin and himself.
After settling down, Shen Xuan noticed that Xue Fenglin seemed a bit silent today. His mood hadn't been very high even when helping out earlier.
Shen Xuan was a bit confused, wondering what was wrong with Xue Fenglin today. He was pondering how to ask when, unexpectedly, Xue Fenglin spoke first.
"Shen Xuan, could you get an empty bowl? I'd like to offer a bowl of rice to my deceased mother."
"Ah, of course," Shen Xuan then realized that today was the Zhongyuan Festival, a day for honoring ancestors.
He also thought to himself, I wonder when Lin Ye's birth mother passed away. He must be missing his deceased mother, no wonder he's been in a bad mood today.
Xue Fenglin's birth mother, Lady Ye, although the legitimate wife of the Marquis, had always had a poor relationship with the Old Marquis due to the presence of his favored concubine, Lady Bai.
After Lady Ye passed away, every New Year and festival, Xue Fenglin was the most attentive to her affairs in the Marquis's residence.
He personally presided over the rituals and lighting of lamps. This year, Xue Fenglin suffered misfortune and couldn't return, so he wondered if the Marquis's residence's rituals would forget her.
As for his own biological father, Xue Fenglin had long given up hope.
When Duke Shen and his wife passed away, Shen Xuan was still young. After that, he lived in the modern world for over twenty years, so he actually didn't have a very deep impression of his parents in this world.
However, seeing Xue Fenglin mention his deceased mother, Shen Xuan also thought of his own parents.
He went to the kitchen and got three empty bowls, filled them with three portions of dishes, and placed them on the nearby cabinet, as a sign of respect for his elders.
Xue Fenglin then picked up his wine cup, stood up, and knelt facing the bowls, offering a cup of wine. His voice was a little hoarse as he said,
"Your unfilial son could not honor Mother in time this year. When I return, I will surely go to the temple and light an eternal lamp for Mother's memorial tablet."
Shen Xuan saw his sorrowful gaze, seeming to suppress deep emotions, and was quite moved.
Thinking that he had been foolish for so many years and hadn't even burned a single piece of joss paper for Duke Shen and his wife, he felt some regret. I should have bought some joss paper back!
However, an idea suddenly struck him. He walked out of the room and went to the nearby wilderness. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Shen Xuan returned with a few bunches of lush wild chrysanthemums.
Late summer was when chrysanthemums bloomed profusely, and the nearby wilderness was full of white and yellow wild chrysanthemums.
Shen Xuan put the chrysanthemums in cups and placed them on the cabinet where the bowls and chopsticks were offered.
Though there was no joss paper at home, there was food, wine, and fresh flowers.
Shen Xuan also imitated Xue Fenglin, kneeling down and raising his wine cup, saying,
"Father, Mother, and Lin Ye's mother. It's all my negligence; I didn't think to burn some money for you. We only have food and these wild flowers at home, but it's our heartfelt gesture. We hope you don't mind."
After speaking, Shen Xuan raised his wine cup and drained it. He then looked at Xue Fenglin and saw him staring intently at him, with a very complex emotion hidden in his eyes.
Shen Xuan was startled by Xue Fenglin's gaze and asked with some doubt,
"That look... did I say something wrong?"
Xue Fenglin then realized his lapse. He collected himself, shook his head, and smiled.
"No, it's just that my mother happened to love chrysanthemums the most. Thank you for the flowers you brought; she will surely like them."
Lady Ye loved chrysanthemums; her courtyard in the Marquis's residence used to have many chrysanthemums planted.
Shen Xuan, by sheer coincidence, had fulfilled Lady Ye's wish. Although this was accidental, the thought that Shen Xuan was originally the husband Lady Ye had arranged for him long ago gave Xue Fenglin a different feeling.
He only thought that if the Shen family had not fallen into decline and Lady Ye were still alive, Shen Xuan would probably have already married him, and Lady Ye would surely have loved this son-in-law very much.
He looked at the two bowls on the cabinet representing Duke Shen and his wife, and offered them another cup of wine.
He and Shen Xuan had a long-standing engagement, but it had not been fulfilled as promised.
If Duke Shen and his wife knew of this in the afterlife, they might even climb out of their graves in the middle of the night to settle accounts with him.
After this ritual, Xue Fenglin's mood seemed to improve significantly. By this time, it was already dark, and he and Shen Xuan returned to the table to eat.
Xue Fenglin poured a cup of wine for himself and Shen Xuan, and solemnly said to him, "Shen Xuan, this cup is for you. I owe you a great deal, and I will repay it slowly in the future."
Shen Xuan thought Xue Fenglin was referring to his act of saving him, so he waved his hand with a smile and said,
"Lin Ye, you're really too polite. I didn't save you for repayment; you don't need to keep mentioning it, it makes me uncomfortable."
Seeing Xue Fenglin drain his cup, Shen Xuan also imitated him and drank it all. After just two cups of wine, Shen Xuan's face turned completely red.
His expression became somewhat excited, and he talked much more than usual. While continuously adding food to Xue Fenglin's plate, he spoke somewhat boldly.
"Lin Ye, you're truly handsome. When I saved you, I didn't know you were this handsome. Otherwise, I would have been too embarrassed to bring you home."
Xue Fenglin raised an eyebrow in surprise. This was the first time he had heard such words from Shen Xuan. He knew he was exceptionally handsome.
In the capital, whenever he attended banquets, the young ladies and Ger sitting opposite him would stare at him, some even becoming jealous over a few words he exchanged with someone.
However, after meeting Shen Xuan, Shen Xuan had always treated him with open generosity, and they had always been respectful towards each other.
Coupled with Shen Xuan once saying he would never marry in this life, Xue Fenglin naturally thought the other had no feelings for him and wouldn't have such thoughts privately.
In truth, Xue Fenglin's heart had always been very conflicted. On one hand, he used his looks as a weapon to socialize and build connections in the capital, while on the other hand, he didn't particularly like others paying too much attention to his face.
However, upon hearing Shen Xuan praise his handsomeness, Xue Fenglin's first reaction was happiness.
He watched Shen Xuan drink another cup, seemingly a little drunk, his eyes even becoming sluggish.
Xue Fenglin curled his lips, suddenly feeling a desire to tease Shen Xuan, and asked,
"Which part of me do you find handsome?"
Shen Xuan, hearing this, paused for a moment before looking at Xue Fenglin's face and saying,
"Your eyebrows, eyes, nose..."
Before he could finish, Xue Fenglin frowned and asked,
"Is my mouth not handsome?"
"No,"
Shen Xuan quickly said, then reached out his hand, his fingertip lightly tracing Xue Fenglin's lips.
"Bright red lips, glistening white teeth... Your mouth is certainly very handsome too."
Shen Xuan's actions were very bold, truly because he was already drunk. The clear wine, though sweet and palatable, was very intoxicating.
Shen Xuan couldn't hold his liquor and was greedy for sweets and drink, so he accidentally drank too much.
"You're drunk,"
Xue Fenglin said, holding Shen Xuan's wrist, his eyes darkening slightly.
"I'm not drunk! You just look handsome! Why don't you admit it?" Shen Xuan said urgently.
He suddenly stood up, his body unsteady, and swayed forward, nearly falling. Xue Fenglin immediately reached out to catch him, preventing him from falling and spoiling the table of food and wine.
Shen Xuan leaned partially against Xue Fenglin, remaining motionless for a while.
"Shen Xuan?" Xue Fenglin called his name and turned him over to look.
Shen Xuan's face was flushed like a cloud, his eyes watery and unfocused, clearly in a drunken stupor.
Shen Xuan's alcohol tolerance was terrible! Xue Fenglin suddenly felt a mix of helplessness and amusement.
He carried Shen Xuan to the bed, taking off his shoes and outer clothes. Because of the hot weather and his drunkenness, Shen Xuan wasn't still on the bed; his limbs were splayed out, and the collar of his underclothes was pulled open, revealing his collarbone and a patch of delicate skin on his chest.
Xue Fenglin swallowed, suddenly feeling hot again. Just then, Shen Xuan drunkenly rolled over, his chest exposed, vaguely revealing a small glimpse of what was underneath.
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